Tripod or similar support



May 24, 1932. DALTON 1,859,289

TRIPOD OR SIMILAR SUPPORT Filed May 8, 1931 INV EN TOR.

flak/2%. fialion M A TTORNEY Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES HUBERT K. DAL-TON, or STAMFORD, "oomvno'rrcu'r TRIPOD on SIMILAR surrorvr Application filed May 8, 1931.

This invention relates to tripods or similar supports, and has for its primary object and purpose to provide a very simple construction and mounting of'the legs of a tripod upon the part to be supported and a single means common to all of the tripod legs for securely retaining the same in spread or set up relation to each other, and to also hold and retain said tripod legs in collapsed, closely compact relation to each other against relative movement.

More particularly, it is an important object of the invention in one embodiment thereof, to provide yieldable means upon the tripod head with which the supporting legs are pivotally connected embodying axially movable means connected with toggle links pivoted to the respective tripod legs to retain said links in the collapsed condition of the tripod in such relation to the pivoted ends of the tripod legs as to effectually resist any tendency of the casual pivoting movement of the legs from such collapsed positions.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a yieldable connection between the supporting head of the tripod and the several pivoted legs thereof, that the movement of one of the legs from its set up position will automatically result in a corresponding collapsing movement of the remaining legs of the tripod. v

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved tripod arrangement of the several parts thereof as will be hereinafter more fully described, il-

lustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. Y 3 I V In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated one practical form of my invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,--

' Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing the tripod set up in supporting position;

Fig. 2 shows the tripod collapsed and enclosed within a tubular post or standard;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view, the tripod legs being shown in section, and

and in the form, construction, and relative ings.

Serial Noe..535,949.

Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional View, certain parts being broken away, the tripod being in collapsed condition and one of the legs thereof being illustrated in dotted lines in its expanded or set up position. i

The sub ect matter of the present application constitutes an improvement upon a tripod of the form disclosed in my pending application for patent on signal flag and lamp stand devices, Serial No. 522,299, filed March 13, 1931. For convenience in'illustration, I have shown therefore, in the drawings, the several relatively movable legs of the tripod associated with a coupling head generally indicated at 5 for connection with one end ofa tubular post or standard 6 and which may be reversiblyinserted within the end of the standardand detachably latched thereto so as to retain the collapsed tripod within the end of the standard, or in projecting relation thereto, all as disclosed in my pending application. I Y

, It will be understood, however,.that the novel features of the present disclosure are not necessarily confined to such specific application, and the legs of the tripod maybe directly connected to the end of the standard or other object to be supported. In either case, the coupling head 5 or the end of. the post or standard is hollow, or provided with a chamber for a purpose which will presently become apparent. At the closed lower end of this chamber, the part 5 is formed with an external central tubular boss 7 and the radially positioned webs 8. i

To each of the webs 8 a tripod leg f channel shaped form in cross section as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, is pivotally connected at one of its ends as at 10. The open side of the channeled leg 9 faces inwardly, and the intermediate wall ofsaid leg at its pivoted end terminates in suitably spaced relation from the web 8 and as shown at 11,-andis adapted, by abutting contact with the obliquely inclined edge8 of the web, to limit the outward pivotal movement of the tripod leg to its set up position, as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the draw.-

' A rod 12 is axially movable through the I guide bore 7 and the end wall of the part 5 and at one of its ends has a threaded connection with the multi-armed spider 13. To each arm of this spider a spreader link 14 is pivoted at one of its ends as at 15, and has its other endpivoted to one side flange of one of the tripod legs 9 as shown at 16. Preferably anut. 17 is threaded upon the lower extremity of the rod 12 to detachably retain the spider 13 in connected relation therewith. 1 The other or upper end of the rod l2 provided with a suitable head '1'8fand a washer plate 19. A coil spring 20 surrounding the rod 12 bears at it s'up pe r en d against said. washer -'plate and at its lower'e against the base of part 5, and {is under constant t'en'siomien'dihg to urge the rod 12 in an upwarddirection.

In the operation ofthe device as abov described, it will be understood that when the. tripodlegs are. in their collapsed positions as indicated in Figs. 2 and l ofthe drawings, the, longitudinal edges of the side flangesof the respective 'legs'are disposed substantially ingcontact, said legs converging towards each other-from their pivoted ends '10 totheir free ends. The legsv of the tripod are retained in this close, compact relation ship by reason of the location of the link pivots 16;. It .will be noted from referen to'gEi'g. 4 that in the folded or collapsed posi tions of the. legs 9, these pivots willbc located slightly inwardly of the pivots 15 connecting'the other legs ofthe links l l of the spider 13. Therefore, the action of the. spring 20 maintaining an upwardstress upon the lower link'pivots l5tends to urgethe free ends of the tripod legs 9, inwardly towards each other, since the pivots 16 are; also. disposed slightlyinwardly of the axes of the pivoted ends of the legs 9. There is, however, sufiicient playat' the. pivots and 16 so that y grasping the lower fr eend; of the tripod leg, it may. be pulled'outwardly to the expanded or. set up position. After the three legs have'b'eenmoved totheir-expanded positions, the spring 20. acting through the rod 12 .and'li'nks 14 tends to maintain. said legs in the same angular relation to thepart 5 and in abutting contact with the edges 8' of the'webs. 8. The spreader links 14 in this position of the tripod legs are disposed at such an' angle with respect to. the spider 13 as to firmly' brace the tripod legs, and necessitate a very strong manual pressure against the 'free end of the. legs, in order to overing inovement 'be transmitted through the 'spider 13.1-and the link connections there with to each of the other legs of the tripod so that said legs will move together to their completely collapsed positions. When in such position, the spring 20 is under maximum compression so that as above stated, the tripod legs will be securely held against relative outward spreading movement. Thus, when the collapsed tripod is inserted within the hol ow post or standar I10 casual pivoting movement i the individual legs resulting in noisy contact of the same against the wall of the standard can occur.

From'the ioregoing 'description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the' construction, manner of operation, and several advantages of my improved tripod will be clearly and fully understood. Itfwill beseen tha Ihave-devised e e y simplefand effective and. r lia l means eon- ;necting the tripled leg w t he P orstend e d support whereby the semewillbe ecurely retained in either-their-set up, or collapsed positions," and which Y a so nable the m Ve merit of: the legs of the t ipodsto; uehp sitions to beeasi y and qui kly-acc mplished. As heretotore noted, the drawings illustrate one possible em od m nt o Prese t i tripod legs, and the respective-Webs, saidwehs Pr asters f renges mentoft e re s ver e l-Ls. of. the chann l shap d: ees ther withto limit outward spreading movement aid: legs, a rod a a ly m reb ehre s r d guide boss, a spider fixed to one; end (if said rod, spreader nks p vot d i l e 2 97 5 of the spider extending upwardlyrtheretrom and having their other ends pivotally-eonnected to the respe t e tripo e -7. a Ma ne ed w t i sai holl w mememed es With Saidv to o sta t y; us t a lie 'in onedirectionfand yield-ingly hold; the legs in their maximum separated relation, on to .yieldinglyt retain the" same2 together said spreader links their folded collapsed positions. I i

.1 a p d, p ura ty-Qt erpenti e legs, a member supportedstherehyr andto whichsaid. legs; arepiYotalIy connected at one of th ir; n. sa s i er resit sne between said: legs, and below the pivoted ends therespre derl nkspi llr e -r st are? of: their-endsto the spi er and .e tending p- .wardly therefrom and-pivotedfat-their other ends to the respective tripod legs, the latter link pivots being disposed out of alignment with the leg pivots and disposed inwardly thereof and with respect to the pivotal connections between the links andsaid spider when the tripod is collapsed, and means mounted on said member including a part operatively connected with said spider to yieldably retain the tripod legs and spreader links in folded collapsed position.

3. In a tripod, a plurality of supporting legs, a member supported thereby and to which said legs are pivotally connected at one of their ends, a spider positioned between said legs and below the pivoted ends thereof, spreader links pivotally connected at one of their ends to the spider and extending upwardly therefrom and pivoted at their other ends to the respective tripod legs, the latter link pivots being disposed out of alignment with the leg pivots and disposed inwardly thereof and with respect to the pivotal con nections between the links and said spider when the tripod is collapsed, means mounted on said member including a part connected to the spider and axially movable through said member, and spring means compressed in the inward movement of the tripod legs towards each other and coacting with said part to yieldingly retain the tripod legs and the ends to the respective tripod legs, the latter link pivots being disposed out of alignment with the leg pivots and disposed inwardly thereof and with respect to the pivotal connections between the links and said spider when the tripod is collapsed, yieldable means housed within said hollow member, and an axially movable element connected with the spider and moved in one direction by said yieldable means to urge the tripod legs outwardly to their set up positions and to also yieldably retain the tripod legs and spreader links in their folded collapsed positions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

HUBERT K. DALTON. 

